Engine for ringing bells or other purposes.



O. Af ALEXANDER. ENGINE POR RINGING BELLS 0R OTHER PURPQSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902.

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UNTTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER A. ALEXANDER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE FOR RINGING BELLS OR OTHER PURPOSES.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,072, dated March 3, 1903.

g Application filed March 20,1902. Serial No. 99,218. (No model To ir/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, OLIVERA. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Engines for Ringing Bells or other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to power apparatus especially designed for ringing the bells of locomotives; and the primary object of the invention is to produce an apparatus utilizing the air from the air-brake system for the motive power and in which the apparatus is direct acting and valveless.

In carrying out the invention I employ a cylinder open at one end and having a supply-port arranged at one elevation therein and an exhaust-port arranged at a relatively lower elevation and containing a hollow piston with only a supply-port and exhausting from its inner open end, this piston being connected in any suitable manner, preferably by novel details of construction hereinafter specitied, with the bell to actuate it upon the outstroke, the return movement being accomplished by inertia, all as I will proceed now more particularly to set forth and finally claim.

` In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a side elevation of a bell and its hanger supplied with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation and partial section. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation ofthe adjustable conmeeting-rod. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional details of modiiications.

The bell ct andits hanger or mounting b, in which it is arranged on trunnions to swing back and forth, may be of any approved construction. The cylinder c is open at both ends, and the lower end is closed by a screwcap d, having an internal recess or compression-chamber e, or the cylinder may be recessed at this lower end-aa for example, by casting the chamber e as an integral part of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5. Abracket f, applied to or integral with the cylinder, is provided as a means for attaching the device to the bell-hanger.

g is a nipple adapted, as by a screw-thread, to receive a pipe for supplying the motor fluid-steam, air, or whatever may be available--and the inner end of this nipple is reduced, preferably as shown, or the inlet may be made by a Square bottom cavity g, perforated, as shown in Fig. 6.

h is the exhaust-port, located below the inlet port or nipple g a distance substantially equal to the initial stroke of the piston t. As shown vin Fig. 5, the exhaust-port h may be supplied with a reducing-valve h2, having an outlet h3 in order to give the proper cushion to the piston on its downstroke. This piston has a tubular portion j, in which is the inletport 7c. The pistou may be provided with Vany number of packing-rings Z, externally applied thereto. The upper portion of the piston is also made tubular, as shown at m, in order to receive the lubricant, and this lubricant escapes around the piston and between it and the cylinder through any number of lateral openings n in the piston. The upper end of the piston is provided with ears 0, perforated transversely to receive a pin p, to which is applied the connecting-rod q, and ythis pin p, as shown more especially in Figs. l and 3, has a depending arm r, which works between guide-lugs s on the cylinder and terminates ina cross-head t, so as to limit the upward movement of the piston, and thus prevent the piston from being driven out of the cylinder and also to keep the port la in alinement with the port g.

The connecting-rod q preferably is jointed to its longitudinally-slotted member u by a screw-threaded joint, as shown at fu, in order to admit of adjustment of the length of the said connecting-rod to any desired stroke for ringing the bell.

The operation of the device is manifest; but :it may be stated that pressure being admitted through the inlet-port and accumulating within the recess j tends to lift the piston and its connecting-rod, and since the connecting-rod through its slotted portion u is connected with the pin w of the crank-arm o:

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of the bell the bell will be tilted upon its tru unions until the lower end of the pistonv passes the exhaust-port h, and the pressure escaping and meanwhile the port 7a having passed the inlet-port and said inlet-port having been closed by the wall of the piston to cut off further supply of pressure the weight or inertia of the bell will serve to eect the retu rn stroke of the piston, which will tend to compress whatever motive power remains Within the piston or store it within the cavity e and recess j to be augmented by a fresh supply of motive power when the port oagain alines with the inlet-port,and th us the cycle of movements is repeated as long as the supply of Iiuid lis continued.

It will be seen that the piston is a directacting one without rotary motion, and its motions are effected without the intervention of valves of any kind. So far as a valve motion exists at all, it is constituted of the piston and cylinderthemselves. Thusaveryeoonomical construction is possible and one of entire efliciency.

I do not limit m'y invention to the one-described use of bell-ringing, since obviously it is of wider application.

What I claim is- 1. An engine, for ringing bells and forother purposes, comprising essentially7 a cylinder open at one end and provided with a compression-chamber at its other end, having an inlet, and an exhaust arranged below said inlet relatively to the direction of movement of the piston, and a valveless piston arranged within said cylinder provided with a hollow end and having an inlet-port and exhausting from its hollow end.

2. The combination of aeylinder, having an inlet-port, and an exhaust-port provided with a reducing-valve arranged lower than the inlet-port relatively tothe direction of movement of the piston, said cylinder open at one end and having its other end recessed to form a compression-chamber, with a hollow piston having an inlet-port and exhausting from its lower end.

3. The combination of a cylinder, having an inlet-port,aud an exhaust-port arranged lower than the inlet-port relatively to the direction of movement of the piston, a valveless piston having an inlet-port and exhausting from its lower end, a connecting-rod, and a pin connecting said rod with the piston and having a depending stop-arm coperating with stoplugs on the cylinder.

4;. A valveless engine, comprising a cylinder having an inlet-port, an exhaust-port arranged lower than the inlet-port relatively to the direction of movement of the piston and a compression-chamber at its bottom, combined with a piston containing a recess for the reception of the motive power, and also having an upper recess to receive a lubricant, and provided with lateral discharges there- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of March, A. D. 1902.

OLIVER A. ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

WM. POWERS, J. A. LANIGON. 

